On the night of Thursday 4 January, the East Somerset Railway suffered flooding, causing damage to the café.

In common with large parts of southern England, storms battered the area around the Railway, which runs for two-and-a-half miles between Cranmore and Mendip Vale, causing flooding and road blockages.

East Somerset Railway’s Station Café and public toilets quickly flooded as water levels rose. Bistro Catering has run the café since February 2022, and locals and visitors had praised its recent refurbishment.

As flooding began to recede on Friday morning, access to the site was restricted, and the Railway began to assess the damage. The team from Bistro Catering worked alongside East Somerset Railway volunteers to begin the hard work of clearing and cleaning the areas as soon as possible. Once a full assessment is made, extensive works will be needed to return the Station Café to its high standards.

The Station Café has been closed for a seasonal break since Christmas Eve (Sunday 24 December) and was due to remain closed until mid-February. The Railway hopes that repair work during this time will mean that the Station Café will reopen on schedule, but it is too early in the process to guarantee this, and it may need to remain closed for longer.

The East Somerset Railway have offered “a huge thank you” to the volunteers who answered its calls for help with tidying up after the flood, acknowledging that “the passion and eagerness of our volunteers is invaluable”.